The Doctor's sonic screwdriver

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The Doctor, throughout many of their lives, possessed a sonic screwdriver. They ostensibly upgraded and improved each subsequent model, improving functionality and adding additional features while the design changed. Features included projecting sound waves to lock or unlock doors, frying circuitry, hacking, disabling, and activating technology. It could also be used as a scanning device, with medical applications.

Each model used the same software. Essentially, the sonic screwdriver in use by the War Doctor was the same as that in the Eleventh Doctor's possession, some 400 years later. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

At least one version of the screwdriver used a crystal similar to the Metebelis crystal sought after by the Eight Legs of Metebelis III, (COMIC: The Forgotten) while the Fifth Doctor attempted to collect a diothanine crystal from the planet Argentia where temporal zone met to focus sonic waveforms for a new sonic screwdriver. (AUDIO: Serpent in the Silver Mask) There were also electrical components. (COMIC: The Halls of Sacrifice)

The screwdriver had a multitude of settings and different versions of settings. The Tenth Doctor told Rose to use "setting 15B" to triangulate the source of the ghosts (TV: Army of Ghosts) and used 34-H to sink a ship. (COMIC: Second Wave) It had a setting 85 that undid security codes to unlock doors. (TV: The Lazarus Experiment) The Ninth Doctor told Rose to use setting 2428D to re-attach barbed wire. (TV: The Doctor Dances) Sarah Jane used the Theta Omega setting to melt plastic vines. (TV: The Android Invasion) The Twelfth Doctor told Clara to use setting 41 to send out random bursts of helicon energy to distract the Skovox Blitzer. (TV: The Caretaker) The Twelfth Doctor himself used setting 61 to knock out a cybernetically augmented dinosaur with a "sonic brainstorm". (COMIC: Spirits of the Jungle) However, at least one version of the screwdriver was able to use thoughts as well as settings. (TV: The Big Bang, Amy's Choice, Let's Kill Hitler, Death in Heaven) The same version could also be activated using the Doctor's voice. (TV: Deep Breath)

The different versions of the Doctor's sonic screwdrivers exhibited different capabilities and uses, such as medical diagnostics (TV: The Empty Child) and repair of organic parts; (TV: The Vampires of Venice) cutting, but also re-attaching materials such as barbed wire; (TV: The Doctor Dances) operating Earth machinery such as computers (TV: School Reunion) and even cash machines (at regular and high eject speeds); (TV: The Runaway Bride) creating a spark to light a candle (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace) or Bunsen burner; (TV: Evolution of the Daleks) opening and holding doors with acoustic locks; (TV: The Rings of Akhaten) and, on the rare occasion, driving screws without touching them. (TV: The War Games, The Ark in Space, The Doctor's Wife)

River Song told the Fourth Doctor that, though his current screwdriver was mostly just a screwdriver, he would later "go a bit crazy with the optional upgrades". (AUDIO: Someone I Once Knew)

Although it was primarily a tool, the sonic screwdriver could also be used as a defensive weapon, able to combine with other sonic devices to form a shield around a hostile target to either force them back (TV: The Day of the Doctor) or slow their advance. (TV: The Doctor Falls) The Tenth Doctor put it in a soundboard to destroy the Robot Santas by overloading their sensors. (TV: The Runaway Bride) The Eleventh Doctor used it to bounce sound waves off a knife held by Melody Pond, knocking it out of her hand. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler) The sonic screwdriver was also capable of holding off sound waves from creatures who relied on sound in order to attack such as the Vigil. (TV: The Rings of Akhaten)

The sonic screwdriver would, in rare occasions, be used as an offensive weapon, firing energy blasts. The Eleventh Doctor used it in this manner to help River Song defeat a group of Silents, defeating at least two of them. (TV: Day of the Moon) The Twelfth Doctor used the same model of screwdriver to blast a Hyperion, buying himself and others time to escape from it. (COMIC: The Hyperion Empire) It could also destroy ice creatures when it received the latest update. (TV: The Snowmen)

The Tenth Doctor claimed that the device could not be used to wound, maim or kill living things. (TV: Doomsday, The Doctor's Daughter) Despite this, the Third Doctor used the device to incapacitate Space Greyhounds by disrupting their brain functions, (COMIC: The Forgotten) the Eighth Doctor once claimed it could destroy a Dalek's brain if held directly against the casing when activated, (PROSE: War of the Daleks) and the Twelfth Doctor used setting 61 to knock out a cybernetically augmented dinosaur with a "sonic brainstorm". (COMIC: Spirits of the Jungle) It could destroy non-living objects or mechanisms or place living creatures in circumstances where they might die if the situation required. (TV: The Christmas Invasion) The War Doctor claimed that it was a scientific instrument rather than a water pistol, (TV: The Day of the Doctor) or indeed a magic wand. (PROSE: The Day of the Doctor)

Particularly during the Time War (AUDIO: The Satanic Mill, The Thousand Worlds, The Heart of the Battle, A Thing of Guile) and in their thirteenth incarnation, (COMIC: A New Beginning, TV: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos) the Doctor was known on occasion to summon the TARDIS using their sonic screwdriver, though the Thirteenth Doctor noted that the TARDIS got "prickly" at being summoned too often, as she found it demeaning. (COMIC: A New Beginning)

For a time, the Twelfth Doctor abandoned sonic screwdrivers in favour of wearable technology - namely, his sonic sunglasses. (TV: The Witch's Familiar, Under the Lake) However, after briefly returning to Gallifrey and having Clara Oswald dematerialise with them still inside her TARDIS, he resumed using screwdrivers, as his TARDIS fashioned a new one for him as a gift. Furthermore, after the Doctor had lost sight of who he was, Clara left him a reminder to "be a Doctor" after leaving his company. As part of his role of being a Doctor was to use a sonic screwdriver, the Doctor accepted the TARDIS's gift (TV: Hell Bent) though he would continue to occasionally use the sunglasses as well. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)

The Second Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

Main article: Second Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The first sonic screwdriver used by the Doctor was invented and used by his second incarnation (PROSE: The Murder Game, AUDIO: The Forsaken, TV: Fury from the Deep) The First Doctor had on at least one occasion utilised a sonic device of some kind (PROSE: Venusian Lullaby) but expressed unfamiliarity and disdain at the Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdriver. (TV: Twice Upon a Time) The Second Doctor used the screwdriver throughout his life, from at least as early as his travels with the Polly, Ben and Jamie (AUDIO: The Forsaken) until his enforced work for the Celestial Intervention Agency near the end of his life. (AUDIO: Wrath of the Ice Warriors, Helicon Prime)

The Third, Fourth and Fifth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

Main article: Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The Third Doctor used a new model of the sonic screwdriver which would be used throughout the lifetime of the Fourth Doctor. Early in his life, the Fifth Doctor made use of it until it was destroyed by the Terileptils, and he did not replace it afterwards. (TV: The Visitation)

Used by the Sixth Doctor[[edit] | edit source]

Main article: Sixth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

While going "hands free" for most of his life, the Sixth Doctor occasionally carried a replacement sonic screwdriver. (PROSE: The Nightmare Fair, AUDIO: The Ultimate Adventure)

The Seventh and Eighth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

Main article: Seventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver

Both the Seventh and Eighth Doctor carried the "Mark 5" sonic screwdriver. (TV: Doctor Who, PROSE: Alien Bodies) The Seventh Doctor was seen using this screwdriver by the latter part of his life, although it's exact origin depended on the source, and remained in the Eighth Doctor's use throughout his life, although he would replace it with a different model until the Last Great Time War.

Replacement on Ha'olam[[edit] | edit source]

During his imprisonment by INC on Ha'olam, the Eighth Doctor's sonic screwdriver was confiscated. After his escape, he briefly used a replacement screwdriver resembling a slender metal rod with a crystal at its tip. (PROSE: Seeing I)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

This screwdriver was used by the Doctor for making milkshakes and hacking into the Ubernet. (PROSE: Seeing I)

The Eighth Doctor's second screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

The Eighth Doctor's second screwdriver. (COMIC: The Pictures of Josephine Day)

Later in his eighth incarnation, the Doctor carried a sonic screwdriver with a wooden handle. It had a metallic tip with six prongs that nested a clear diode at the end, which glowed blue when activated. (AUDIO: The Great War) Its handle doubled as a torch. (AUDIO: Sword of Orion) The Doctor claimed that he made this version of the sonic screwdriver to do more than open doors and blow up land mines. (AUDIO: X and the Daleks) He later made further modifications to the screwdriver. (AUDIO: Beachhead)

It was referred to as a penny whistle by numerous World War I medics. (AUDIO: The Great War) The Doctor had it in his possession as early on as his travels with Charley Pollard (AUDIO: The Light at the End) after Mary Shelley destroyed the Doctor's earlier model to prevent Johan Drossel and Gramm from using it as a transmitter as part of a super-light transmitter to contact Mondas. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk) The Doctor eventually replaced it after it burnt itself out whilst scanning a piece of the Doomsday Chronometer. (AUDIO: The Eighth Piece) The replacement was later left behind on Parrak by Helen Sinclair. (AUDIO: Planet of Dust). Throughout his stay in 21st century London he was without it. (AUDIO: Lost Property, et al.) Upon escaping the alternative timeline, (AUDIO: Best Year Ever) he reclaimed the screwdriver once more. (AUDIO: Paradox of the Daleks, et al.) The Doctor later used another version of this screwdriver during his travels with Josie Day, (COMIC: The Pictures of Josephine Day) and in the early part of the Last Great Time War, (PROSE: Natural Regression) By the end of his life, the Eighth Doctor had returned to using his original model instead. (TV: The Night of the Doctor)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

During his battles in the Last Great Time War, (COMIC: The Clockwise War) the War Doctor used a sonic screwdriver with a simple metallic handle and a red light-emitting diode at the end. It appeared to be a further upgraded version of the Eighth Doctor's first sonic screwdriver, which he kept strapped in a bandoleer on his chest. It shared the same casing type as the screwdriver used by the Fourth Doctor, but had an extending diode head instead of an emitter head, and an additional piece added to the end of the handle that looked like a small red cap. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

After regenerating at the end of the Last Great Time War, the Ninth Doctor kept this model with him during his early adventures. This version was destroyed when the Doctor rigged it to explode in order to seal a rift in interstitial space, with reporter Adriana Jarsdel sabotaging his attempt at self-sacrifice by taking the screwdriver and entering the rift. (AUDIO: The Bleeding Heart)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

The War Doctor often used his sonic screwdriver to summon the TARDIS to materialise, either around him, (AUDIO: The Thousand Worlds) or nearby. (AUDIO: The Heart of the Battle, A Thing of Guile)

With it, the Doctor could dismantle an Interstitial's possibility engine by removing its bolts, receive homing signals from the TARDIS in the TARDIS Undercroft below the Citadel (PROSE: Engines of War) and activate the memory-erasing device in the Black Archive. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

The War Doctor, along with his eleventh and tenth incarnations, used his sonic screwdriver to create a sonic force field to blast back and destroy an attacking Dalek in the Time War. He also implanted a permanent subroutine within the architecture of the sonic screwdriver's software that would begin the centuries-long calculation to disintegrate a door, as well as continuing a calculation to move Gallifrey into a pocket universe. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

His screwdriver was also capable of scanning a corpse and wiping security footage. (AUDIO: The Bleeding Heart)

The Ninth and Tenth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

The Ninth Doctor's sonic screwdriver. (TV: Boom Town)

After the destruction of his last model, the Ninth Doctor built himself a new sonic screwdriver. This one had a creamy light grey handle with a "cracked-porcelain" texture matching elements on his TARDIS console and rings around the roundels on the control room walls, silver metal at both the bottom of the handle and the top, and was capped off with a black pommel. Its emitter was blue and sat atop a silver metal section attached to a transparent tube containing black and red wires twisted around each other in the centre that was hidden inside the handle until extended by the slider on the side. The Doctor used this model far more frequently than his previous incarnations had done before. (TV: Rose, et al.) The Tenth Doctor also used this model, as he liked tinkering with technology to make devices he needed.

A replacement sonic used by the Tenth Doctor after overloading the former model. (TV: Human Nature)

Prior to formally acquiring it, the Doctor first used this model of the screwdriver during his degeneration crisis in the Time War when he shifted forward in his timestream to his appearance as the Tenth Doctor, alongside his garments and possessions. During use on Planetoid 50 he was very delighted with the sophistication of the sonic. (AUDIO: The Martian Invasion of Planetoid 50)

This version was burnt out by accident after the Tenth Doctor used it to modify an X-ray output to over 5000%, however, and he replaced it with a similar one with a flatter slider, two yellow wires in the tube instead of the black and red ones, and a greyer handle, (TV: Smith and Jones) though it reverted to its cream handle during his time with Queen Elizabeth (TV: The Day of the Doctor) and appeared to have a blue handle following his regeneration. (TV: The Eleventh Hour) The model underwent several changes in colouration, some inadvertent. (COMIC: Laundro-Room of Doom) This version of the sonic screwdriver was also the first to be shown to have a direct connection to the Doctor's TARDIS (TV: Aliens of London) and could be used to override its functions. (TV: Utopia)

The screwdriver was damaged during the Battle of Mordeela, forcing the Doctor to use strips from his Time Lord collar to repair it, which he acknowledged was something of a “botched job”. (PROSE: All Flesh is Grass) He continued to use this variant of the screwdriver whilst in the Dark Times. (AUDIO: The Minds of Magnox)

The Tenth Doctor had this screwdriver on his person during his regeneration, but it was damaged repeatedly afterwards, leading to many malfunctions. Despite the damage, the Eleventh Doctor used it to overload technology in an attempt to alert the Atraxi to Prisoner Zero's location. This fried it into useless, charred metal, much to his growing annoyance and anger. (TV: The Eleventh Hour) It was later recovered by Charlie Sato, and was intended to be taken to the Vault before being intercepted by the Eighth Doctor, who chose to bring it to the TARDIS due to a code that it was still calculating, (AUDIO: The Turn of the Screw) likely the disintegration subroutine started by the War Doctor. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

At least two versions of these screwdrivers were kept in the Twelfth Doctor's office at St Luke's University. (TV: The Pilot)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

Security[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver was capable of opening a variety of locks, including those for doors, (TV: Aliens of London, etc.) hatches, (TV: The Age of Steel) handcuffs, (TV: The Doctor Dances, etc.) and vehicles. (TV: The Runaway Bride, Planet of the Dead) It could also lock doors (TV: The Age of Steel, The Eleventh Hour) or fuse them shut. (TV: Planet of the Ood) The sonic screwdriver could also remove robot casings (COMIC: Carnage Zoo) and create "sonic cages". (TV: Partners in Crime)

The sonic screwdriver was capable of bypassing security measures, such as key locks (TV: The Runaway Bride) and air-tight seals. (TV: Gridlock) It could also interact with electronic locks and override security systems. (TV: The End of the World, The Lazarus Experiment, etc.) However, the sonic screwdriver could not bypass deadlock seals (TV: Bad Wolf, etc.) or work on wooden doors. (TV: Silence in the Library)

The sonic screwdriver could hack computer systems, including websites, (TV: The Runaway Bride) communication networks (TV: Gridlock) and record systems. (TV: The Waters of Mars) It could disable security devices, such as cameras, (TV: Bad Wolf, The Sound of Drums) security orbs, (COMIC: Wrath of the Warrior) laser grids (TV: The Doctor's Daughter) and alarms. (TV: Partners in Crime) The sonic screwdriver also was capable disabling power for an entire spaceship. (TV: The End of Time)

Medical[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could be used as a medical scanner, diagnosing physical injuries. (TV: The Empty Child) It could also dislodge and reinsert teeth, (COMIC: The Lodger) partially reverse the Abzorbaloff's absorption process (TV: Love & Monsters) and confuse the antibodies of a living planet. (COMIC: Lonely Planet) Along with 1930 technology, the Tenth Doctor once used it as a component of a DNA scanning device. (TV: Daleks in Manhattan)

Diagnostic[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver had multiple diagnostic settings. It could be used to detect lifeforms, (TV: Silence in the Library) collect information about them (TV: The Runaway Bride) and check for alien influence. (COMIC: Return of the Klytode) It could even be used to confirm the identity of other incarnations of the Doctor. (COMIC: Four Doctors)

The sonic screwdriver could also detect, triangulate and deactivate signals. (TV: Rose, Army of Ghosts, etc.) It could scan pieces of technology to discover their properties and faults. (TV: Midnight, The Next Doctor) It could also analyse objects (TV: The Eleventh Hour, COMIC: Doomsilk) or detect certain materials in the area. (COMIC: The Halls of Sacrifice) These included time traces (TV: The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith) and forms of energy. (COMIC: Mortal Beloved)

The sonic screwdriver could also detect arriving spaceships (PROSE: The Pictures of Emptiness) and reveal ultraviolet characters. (PROSE: The Game of Death) It could also detect the progress of the War Doctor's calculation. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Technology[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could interact with multiple forms of technology and control them. (TV: Rose, et al.) It was able to activate, disable or destroy electronic devices, including lifts, (TV: Rose, World War Three) computers, (TV: The End of the World, etc.) cameras, (TV: Bad Wolf, The Sound of Drums) cash machines, (TV: The Long Game, The Runaway Bride) mobile phones (TV: The Runaway Bride, etc.) and holograms. (TV: Forest of the Dead) It could also perform these functions on multiple devices within a local area at once. (TV: The Eleventh Hour)

The sonic screwdriver could repair devices, (TV: Gridlock, etc.) as well as modify them. (COMIC: The Screaming Prison) This included increasing a spacesuit's mesh density (TV: Forest of the Dead) and rewiring a digital painting to show a spaceship's systems. (TV: Voyage of the Damned) It was also used to construct devices, even used as a component when necessary. (TV: Daleks in Manhattan, The Poison Sky)

The sonic screwdriver could transmit signals, (TV: Evolution of the Daleks) tune into, create and control broadcast channels, (TV: The Poison Sky, The Eleventh Hour) and re-establish connections, even over different time-frames. (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace) It could also grant mobile phones the ability to call across time and space. (TV: The End of the World, 42, etc.)

The sonic screwdriver was also connected to the Doctor's TARDIS, allowing him to activate the controls from the outside. (TV: The Parting of the Ways, etc.) This included sending it to a predetermined point in space-time, (TV: The Parting of the Ways) fusing the navigational coordinates, (TV: The Sound of Drums) and changing course mid-flight. (TV: The Eleventh Hour)

The sonic screwdriver could detonate explosives, (TV: Doomsday) charge batteries, (TV: Father's Day) reverse teleportation devices, (TV: Boom Town) and let phones call others without their number. (TV: The Runaway Bride) It could scan computer systems for information (TV: Smith and Jones, etc.) and download entire journals. (PROSE: The Colour of Darkness)

The sonic screwdriver could also dismantle firearms, (PROSE: Peacemaker) shatter robot assassins, (COMIC: A Suitable Showdown) loop temporal energy into additional device, (COMIC: Blooms of Doom!) cancel out phonic blasts, (COMIC: We Will Rock You) and open a "crack in space-time". (TV: The Eleventh Hour)

Amplification[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could amplify sound waves to become hypersonic from various audio devices, including radios, speakers and, once, a pipe organ. (TV: The Runaway Bride, Evolution of the Daleks, The Lazarus Experiment) In conjunction with Miss Foster's sonic pen, it created an ultra-high sonic frequency. (TV: Partners in Crime) The sonic screwdriver could also calculate resonation patterns for materials like concrete, (TV: The Doctor Dances) and increase the radiation output of an x-ray scanner, though the latter burned out the device. (TV: Smith and Jones)

Utility[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could create sparks or flames to light candles (TV: The Girl in the Fireplace) or ignite flammable gasses. (TV: Evolution of the Daleks, COMIC: The Hunt of Doom) It could also cut through rope, (TV: The Age of Steel, The Runaway Bride, The Fires of Pompeii) corrode and reconnect thin metal objects, such as barbed wire, (TV: The Doctor Dances) and shatter glass and ice. (TV: Army of Ghosts, COMIC: Arctic Eclipse) It could also be used as a conventional screwdriver without touching screws. (TV: The Doctor's Daughter, Dreamland)

The sonic screwdriver was capable of sending out resonance frequencies to corrode or destroy objects. (TV: The Doctor Dances, COMIC: Operation Lock-up) It could increase the power of devices, such as torches. (COMIC: Crimes and Punishment) It could also uncork bottles, (TV: Voyage of the Damned) melt and solidify tarmac, (PROSE: The Last Dodo) attach horseshoes onto horses, (AUDIO: Death and the Queen) knock over objects (TV: The Fires of Pompeii) and explode fire hydrants. (COMIC: Creature Feature)

The Tenth Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to strip off pieces of Dalekanium from the Empire State Building, (TV: Evolution of the Daleks) tint his glasses to turn them into sunglasses, (TV: Planet of the Dead) and once used it as a soldering iron for perception filters. (TV: The Sound of Drums) It could also be used to fix hairstyles in place, (PROSE: Rose and the Snow Window) prevent Mirrorlings from emerging (COMIC: Mirror Image) and illuminate people. (COMIC: Warfreekz!)

The sonic screwdriver could also create force fields made out of sound waves, capable of deflecting bullets and sonic cannon blasts, (PROSE: Peacemaker, COMIC: Agent Provocateur) and stasis beams. (COMIC: School of the Dead) Combined with multiple others, it could create a beam powerful enough to push back and destroy Daleks. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

The sonic screwdriver was also capable of tickling lions, (PROSE: The Slitheen Excursion) overloading Cybermen, (COMIC: The Power of the Cybermen) repel birds (AUDIO: The Skies of New Earth) and incapacitating a Gizou. (COMIC: Fugitive) It could also teleport both the user and others to destinations. (TV: Music of the Spheres, COMIC: The Day the Earth Was Sold, The King of Earth)

The sonic screwdriver could crash aircars (COMIC: Time of the Cybermen) and sink ships. (COMIC: Second Wave) It could also create toast and butter, (AUDIO: Dead Air) and cause atmospheric excitation to create rain. (COMIC: Mudshock)

The Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors' sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver (TV: The Hungry Earth)

After the loss of the previous sonic screwdriver, the TARDIS gifted the Eleventh Doctor with a new model. Differing radically from the last, with its extendable "claws" and green crystalline emitter resembling the inner structure of the TARDIS's new time rotor, it also had copper plating similar to the new control room. (TV: The Eleventh Hour) A psychic interface allowed its user to point it at a target and think of the function they wanted. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler, Death in Heaven) Having been mentioned to be more than sonic, (TV: Night Terrors) this screwdriver also shot beams of green energy in the shape of sonic waves. (TV: Day of the Moon, Closing Time, The Time of the Doctor) By at least the time of the Doctor's thirteenth regeneration, it had a voice-activation feature, which the Doctor forgot about when he needed it. (TV: Deep Breath) It had a charge that could last centuries; it once lasted 300 years before the Doctor could charge it in the TARDIS. (TV: The Time of the Doctor)

Retaining ineffectiveness against wood, it also didn't work against Peg Dolls (TV: Night Terrors) or the Wooden King and Queen. (TV: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe) The Doctor considered it embarrassing and said that "I need to invent a setting for wood." (TV: Night Terrors) In similar situations, he yelled at it in panic; "Aliens made of wood, you know this was always going to happen!", "Yes, I know it's wood. Get over it!" (TV: The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe) Though aware of this flaw, he was still able to successfully bluff a Wooden Cyberman into destroying itself. (TV: The Time of the Doctor) He also once defended this weakness, saying "Oi! Don't diss the sonic!" (TV: The Hungry Earth) At some point it had an anti-freeze setting. (TV: The Snowmen) This screwdriver was also shown to have a "red setting", (TV: Cold War) similar to River's sonic screwdriver.

The sonic screwdriver and psychic paper on the TARDIS console. (TV: Flatline)

This model was lost and replaced by the Doctor repeatedly, having been bitten in half by a sky shark and left behind, (TV: A Christmas Carol) left with the Ganger Doctor, (TV: The Rebel Flesh) destroyed by Danny Fisher (COMIC: The Blood of Azrael) and, in one instance, simply burnt out due to overuse. In the latter instance, a replacement was given to him by Santa Claus. (COMIC: Silent Knight) One of the Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdrivers was incinerated by the Governor when he was admitted into the Prison. Clara Oswald attempted to give him a new one disguised as a large candle in a birthday cake, but the Governor refused to give the cake to the Doctor. To circumvent this, the Doctor created a sonic spoon in the interim for the time being. (PROSE: The Blood Cell) The Doctor had given Clara one of his screwdrivers when they faced the Fractures but had forgotten to reclaim it, leading his companion to keep it for herself. (COMIC: Clara Oswald and the School of Death) Ultimately, he left one of his screwdrivers with Davros after abandoning him as a child. Davros had this screwdriver in his possession for many years after. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice, The Witch's Familiar) During his youth, Davros studied the device, deducing its alien origins and modifying the output of its laser to act as a true weapon. (PROSE: The Last of the Dals) By the time that Davros was dying and had sent Colony Sarff to collect the Doctor, the screwdriver had become heavily damaged and inoperable, visibly weather-beaten from exposure to war and conflict, and with one of the clawed prongs broken off. Sarff presented the ruined screwdriver to the Doctor as Davros's calling card. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice, The Witch's Familiar)

The Doctor eventually declared that he was "over" sonic screwdrivers, saying that they "spoil the line of your jacket". He replaced the screwdriver with a pair of sonic sunglasses. (TV: The Witch's Familiar)

However, he did not keep this promise, as he used this sonic screwdriver several times afterwards. (COMIC: Clara Oswald and the School of Death, The Fourth Wall)

The Twelfth Doctor's blue version. (COMIC: Tulpa)

When the Eleventh Doctor met the Tenth Doctor in England, 1562, upon the latter realising that the former was a future incarnation of himself, they both got out their sonic screwdrivers. The Eleventh Doctor immediately showed off how much bigger his was, to which the Tenth Doctor claimed that his future incarnation was compensating, remarking that "regeneration, it's a lottery." (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Despite having since replaced it, a version of this screwdriver was kept in the Twelfth Doctor's office at St Luke's University along with most of its predecessors. (TV: The Pilot)

At one point during his travels with Bill Potts, the Twelfth Doctor had a version of this sonic design in the colour scheme of his second sonic screwdriver. (COMIC: Tulpa)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

Security[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could bypass locks for a variety of objects, including doors (TV: Flesh and Stone, etc.), padlocks, (TV: The Hungry Earth) vent gratings, (TV: The Almost People, Time Heist), airlocks (COMIC: Spirits of the Jungle) and restraints. (TV: Day of the Moon, Deep Breath) These functions also included electronic locks and security systems. (TV: Flesh and Stone, etc.) It could also close or fuse objects shut. (TV: The Almost People, A Good Man Goes to War, etc.)

The sonic screwdriver could also disable disguising devices, such as voice modulators (TV: The Snowmen) and cloaking devices. (TV: The Time of the Doctor) It could also unlock control panels, (GAME: City of the Daleks) disable defence systems, (TV: A Town Called Mercy) reveal secret passageways (TV: The God Complex, The Name of the Doctor) and open machine components. (TV: Victory of the Daleks, Into the Dalek, etc.)

Due to its link with the TARDIS, the sonic screwdriver could lock its doors, even from great distances. (TV: Cold Blood, The Doctor's Wife) It could also bypass the security measures on the Pandorica. (TV: The Big Bang) However, sonic screwdriver could not unlock deadlock seals, (TV: The Time of Angels) primitive locks (TV: The Day of the Doctor) or wooden doors. (TV: The Hungry Earth)

Medical[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could perform medical scans on lifeforms to determine various purposes, such as whether they were alive or injured, (TV: Closing Time, The Bells of Saint John) severity of injuries (TV: Cold Blood, etc.) and how long dying individuals had left. (TV: The Doctor's Wife) It could also investigate for outside influences and determine how integrated parasites were in the host's body. (TV: Amy's Choice) The sonic screwdriver could also heal injuries (TV: The Vampires of Venice) and scan bodies to determine the cause of death. (TV: The God Complex)

The sonic screwdriver could also stun various lifeforms, (TV: Day of the Moon, GAME: The Gunpowder Plot) please a Krafayis, (TV: Vincent and the Doctor) and overload a star whale's haemo-receptors, causing it to regurgitate. (TV: The Beast Below) It could also remove dream crabs from victims by electrifying its nerve centres. (TV: Last Christmas) After analysing the Flesh, the sonic screwdriver was able to determine the difference between humans and gangers and dissolve the latter. (TV The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People) Using a recently added anti-freeze setting, the Eleventh Doctor was able to melt the Ice Governess, though this did not work later when she reformed. (TV: The Snowmen)

Diagnostic[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver was often used to scan objects, often to gather information about them or look for technology. (TV: The Beast Below, etc.) This ranged from apples and locks of hair (TV: Robot of Sherwood) to chemical solutions (TV: Death is the Only Answer) and cracks in time and space. (TV: Flesh and Stone) These functions also extended to living creatures and plantlife. (TV: Night Terrors, Flatline, etc.)

When used on technology, the sonic screwdriver would determine a device's function, (TV: The Beast Below) how advanced it was, (TV: A Town Called Mercy) the nature of their controls (TV: A Christmas Carol) and if they were connected to other devices. (TV: The Big Bang) The Doctor would also use it to scan for information on computers and database systems. (TV: The Time of Angels, The Wedding of River Song) In conjunction with a satellite dish, the Eleventh Doctor once used the sonic screwdriver to locate his TARDIS. (TV: The Big Bang)

The sonic screwdriver could also detect heat signatures, (TV: Cold Blood, PROSE: The Dreaming) magnetic fields, (COMIC: The Dalek Project) electrical interference and chemical emissions within an area. (TV: Closing Time) It could also detect transmission signals, even trace both its source and receivers. (TV: The Pandorica Opens, The Doctor's Wife)

The sonic screwdriver was also used to run calculations, such as when Skovox Blitzer would rematerialize. (TV: The Caretaker) It could also run these as a subroutine, though the Doctor could check their progress. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Technology[[edit] | edit source]

Amplification[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver was capable of amplifying various forms of energy beams. (TV: The Beast Below) It could also be used to amplify signals (TV: The Time of Angels, PROSE: Let it Snow) and other sonic devices. (TV: The Girl Who Waited) The sonic screwdriver was mainly used to amplify soundwaves and was occasionally used as a microphone. (TV: A Christmas Carol, The God Complex) It could also create loud noises to draw attention or distract opponents. (TV: The God Complex, A Town Called Mercy) The Twelfth Doctor also used it to create a field of localised gravity (TV: In the Forest of the Night) and an acoustic corridor with a 50 foot range. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice)

Other[[edit] | edit source]

The Twelfth Doctor's second screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

The Doctor tests out his new screwdriver. (TV: Hell Bent)

After spending a period of time using a combination of sonic sunglasses and his green-emitter sonic screwdriver, (COMIC: Clara Oswald and the School of Death) the Twelfth Doctor was gifted a new model by the TARDIS.

While one account showed him gaining it after he had found Gallifrey at the end of the universe, (TV: Hell Bent) another account depicted him using it whilst travelling with Clara Oswald. (COMIC: The Day at the Doctors)

This new model had a very mechanical and complicated-looking, TARDIS blue, metal handle with multiple emitters, once again resembling the inner structure of the time rotor itself. The emitter was once again blue in colour, and the ring of emitters could all light up in a circling motion when activated. (TV: Hell Bent) He continued to use his sonic sunglasses as well, thus giving him two choices of sonic instruments. (TV: The Husbands of River Song, Extremis)

This screwdriver could glow blue, (TV: Hell Bent) red, (COMIC: Robo Rampage) or green. (COMIC: Gallery, TV: For Tonight We Might Die) It was still ineffectual against wood. (TV: Empress of Mars)

The Doctor sometimes attached this screwdriver to his guitar so that he could use both at the same time. (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart)

When the Doctor was stuck in 1972, the screwdriver "ran out of juice" and the Doctor was unable to charge it because he was without his TARDIS. (COMIC: Moving In)

After regenerating into the Thirteenth Doctor, the TARDIS console room exploded due to the damage it took from the intensity of the regeneration energy. The Doctor was thrown out of the TARDIS from the explosion, causing her to free fall to the Earth's surface. (TV: Twice Upon a Time) As she fell, she lost this sonic screwdriver along with everything else in her pockets. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

Security[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver was capable of opening and closing a variety of locks, including those for doors, (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio, COMIC: The Twist) windows (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio) and secret passageways. (COMIC: The Twist) It was also used to update the security features on Missy's prison vault. (TV: The Pilot)

Medical[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could diagnose diseases (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart) and scan lifeforms for outside influences. (TV: For Tonight We Might Die, The Return of Doctor Mysterio)

Diagnostic[[edit] | edit source]

The sonic screwdriver could scan various forms of technology to learn of their functions. (TV: Smile) It could also scan doors for security features and opening combinations. (TV: Oxygen, The Pyramid at the End of the World, World Enough and Time) The sonic screwdriver could detect temporal distortions (COMIC: The Stockbridge Showdown) and trace transmission signals. (COMIC: The Pestilent Heart) It could also be used to detect life readings within an area (COMIC: Gallery) and determine the authenticity of a person by checking their memories. (TV: Twice Upon a Time)

Technology[[edit] | edit source]

Utility[[edit] | edit source]

Other[[edit] | edit source]

The Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

The Thirteenth Doctor's newly created sonic. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth)

Due to losing everything in her pockets following her regeneration and fall, the Thirteenth Doctor lost her previous incarnation's sonic screwdriver (and sonic sunglasses). As a result, the Doctor chose to build one of her own using 21st century Earth components in a workshop in Sheffield. This one was far simpler in appearance than the last screwdriver with a simple steel body made from melted spoons, and a crystal on the tip that glowed amber while in use, taken from a Stenza transport chamber. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth)

It was unique from previous sonic screwdrivers in that it had a changeable handle as opposed to a changeable emitter, (TV: The Woman who Fell to Earth) which had previously either had interchangeable heads, (TV: The Sea Devils - The Visitation) an extendable emitter, (TV: Smith and Jones - The Eleventh Hour) "claws" deployed when the sonic was activated, (TV: The Eleventh Hour - Last Christmas) or a large emitter glowing in a rotating fashion. (TV: Hell Bent - Twice Upon a Time) It was also the first of the Doctor's sonic devices to have a curved handle, allowing for a more natural grip.

Comparing it to a Swiss Army knife, but without the knife, the Doctor explained that it functioned not only as a screwdriver, but as a scanner and a tin opener, and it could be used for diagnostics. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth)

It had a self-rebooting feature, allowing it to restore power if drained. (TV: The Tsuranga Conundrum) It could not work on machinery if the power cells were fluctuating. (TV: Kerblam!)

When a Thijarian remnant sample overloaded the sonic, for having too many inputs, the Doctor noted that this had never happened before. This was because of the immeasurably high density of this substance, containing the remains of Thijar and all their ancestors. (TV: Demons of the Punjab) On another occasion, the sonic could calculate such an impossible density, but that "density [blew its] mind". (TV: The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos) To the Doctor's extreme surprise, her sonic could be rendered inoperative by reconnaissance scout Daleks. (TV: Resolution) If its way is cleared, the Doctor can summon the sonic screwdriver to her hand. (TV: Can You Hear Me?)

This screwdriver would later be temporarily inherited by the Fourteenth Doctor, who would make use of it at the Dalek Dome, until its destruction at the hands of the Supreme Dalek. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks)

Uses[[edit] | edit source]

Diagnostic[[edit] | edit source]

Security[[edit] | edit source]

Technology[[edit] | edit source]

Utility[[edit] | edit source]

Other[[edit] | edit source]

The Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

Main article: Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

In his fourteenth incarnation, the Doctor began utilising a new model of sonic screwdriver (WC: The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver [+]Loading...["The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver (webcast)"], PROSE: Super Sonic [+]Loading...{"page":"36-37","1":"Super Sonic (feature)"}) after the screwdriver belonging to the Thirteenth Doctor was destroyed. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks [+]Loading...["Liberation of the Daleks (comic story)"]) The Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver physically resembled previous screwdrivers. (PROSE: Super Sonic [+]Loading...{"page":"36-37","1":"Super Sonic (feature)"})

The Fifteenth Doctor's screwdriver[[edit] | edit source]

Main article: Fifteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

In his fifteenth incarnation, the Doctor utilised a new sonic screwdriver which had a distinct design in comparison to his previous models. (TV: The Church on Ruby Road et al)

Models belonging to ambiguous incarnations[[edit] | edit source]

One Doctor who used a wheelchair and postdated their fifteenth incarnation used a sonic screwdriver. (PROSE: Rose [+]Loading...{"ed":"2023 Illustrated Edition","1":"Rose (novelisation)"})

Other realities[[edit] | edit source]

In a possible future stemming from the Eighth Doctor, (PROSE: The Tomorrow Windows) the "listless-looking" Ninth Doctor carried a sonic screwdriver with "three settings", which the Thirteenth Doctor continued to use. (TV: The Curse of Fatal Death) In a another reality, (PROSE: The Tomorrow Windows) the "pale aristocrat" Ninth Doctor also used a sonic screwdriver. (TV: Scream of the Shalka)

In a universe where the Doctor was exiled to Earth in the 1990s rather than the 1970s, the Doctor didn't carry a sonic screwdriver, but he recognized a device similar to it. (AUDIO: The Emporium at the End)

In one parallel universe, an alternate female version of the Third Doctor used her sonic screwdriver to get a pound coin unstuck from a trolley. (AUDIO: Exile)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | edit source]

Running gag[[edit] | edit source]

Whenever a new Head writer takes over, they always destroy the sonic screwdriver.

    • Steven Moffat twice over, so the Twelfth Doctor didn't have a hand-me-down from Eleven; just like with Eleven from Ten.
    • Chibnall, so he could start Thirteen off from scratch.

Information from invalid sources[[edit] | edit source]

According to one account, the Doctor got her sonic screwdriver from the planet Argos. (TV: Untitled [+]Loading...["Untitled (The Lily Savage Show)"])

The sonic screwdriver prop[[edit] | edit source]

  • In Victor Pemberton's script for Fury from the Deep, it was simply described as the Doctor's "own version of a screwdriver". When seeing a normal screwdriver in rehearsals, production assistant Michael Briant suggested using another prop and the device having sonic waves, so Patrick Troughton took a penlight from the visual effects department. (DWM 277) However, during location filming, Troughton accidentally lost the original prop and it had to be replaced at the last minute by Peter Day[1] with the safety whistle[2] from Deborah Watling's life jacket outfit.[3]
  • In episode six of Fury from the Deep, the Second Doctor uses one of his devices together with some amplifiers to produce a "sonic laser soundwave" but it is unknown if this is the sonic screwdriver, and if so whether it was the retrieved original prop or not. The combined props are seen in a surviving alternate take of the climax battle of the episode, in which a sort of medical hammer appears to be lodged in the amplifier and manipulated by Troughton.
  • The Second Doctor's slim penlight prop from The War Games has been identified as a EverReady model no. 1980 (1968-70 version).[2]
  • The Third Doctor's sonic screwdriver is a modified prop from the Thunderbirds film Thunderbirds Are Go, where it appeared as a screwdriver of the non-sonic variety. When Century 21 Productions was closed, the prop, among others, was sold off to the BBC.[4]
  • The sonic screwdriver was retired during the Fifth Doctor serial The Visitation, as it was felt that it had not only been overused but also writers relied on it instead of their own inventiveness to get the Doctor out of tricky situations. It was absent for the Sixth and Seventh Doctor's eras, except in the TV Movie, where the Seventh Doctor used it to lock the Old Master's remains away. The Eighth Doctor recovered it at the end of the film. After appearing in many Seventh and Eighth Doctor audio adventures from Big Finish Productions, the tool was reintroduced with the Ninth Doctor and has become the show's most frequently used gadget besides the TARDIS itself.
  • The screwdriver was given a rest once more in series 9, only appearing in The Magician's Apprentice, and a new version was introduced in the last episode Hell Bent. It was replaced by sonic sunglasses for that entire season.
  • For unexplained reasons, the Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver had a green casing in The Infinite Quest.
  • There are two main versions of the Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver — one which has a slide feature with button, and one which does not slide and has a fixed button. The two prop types varied each episode.
  • The War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a Fourth Doctor's sonic screwdriver replica toy.
  • When the Doctor handles the screwdriver, the clinking noises produced (when he throws and catches it) are created by repeating the motions with a corkscrew, the handles of which bump against the casing to produce the required noise. These noises are dubbed over the footage in post-production.

Concept art[[edit] | edit source]

  • Early conceptual art of the first modern era sonic screwdriver features a different "tube" section. Notes refer to "glowing organic circuitry" and a movable ball-joint on the emitter to allow use around corners and in tight spaces. Instead of the "glowing circuitry," the actual prop and toy reproductions featured a black "swivel" like a simple helix. When given a personal copy of the concept art, David Tennant himself commented on the lack of the swivelling emitter. [source needed]
  • Another early piece of concept art, similar to a simple Bitmap drawing, reveals that the black "cap" at the reverse end of the sonic screwdriver was intended to be an opening set of "feet," allowing the sonic screwdriver to plug into a section of the TARDIS console. This feature was also dropped from the eventual prop model. [source needed]
  • Dan Walker redesigned the sonic screwdriver, devising how it looks when used by the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. "We hit upon the idea of spark plugs, which in themselves are very iconic," Walker stated. "Initially, we started off quite techy, with retractable elements that would interface with an unlimited number of devices." Despite his work on redesigning the device, Walker wasn't allowed to take one of the sonic screwdriver props home with him. (ImageFX magazine, October 2008, pp. 63 & 64)
Time Lord Victorious screwdriver concept art
  • For the Time Lord Victorious event, concept art was made of the Tenth Doctor screwdriver, modified with parts bearing Gallifreyan text. It would then feature in The Edge of Time videogame's Time Lord Victorious DLC as an item to receive to complete the DLC's level, and implicitly appear in the novel All Flesh Is Grass when the Tenth Doctor hastily repairs his sonic screwdriver with bits of his Time Lord regalia.

Sonic screwdriver toy[[edit] | edit source]

  • A toy of the Eleventh Doctor's version was seen in "Light Echoes", an edition of "The Sky at Night" broadcast on BBC4 on Wednesday 5th October 2010. The screwdriver was (jokingly) used to scan a part of the LOFAR radio telescope, then under construction in Chilbolton, Hampshire, UK.
  • The Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy has a total of four sound effects, two of which alternate with every other button press. The third is activated by pressing twice and holding on the third button push. The fourth is activated with three presses and a hold on the fourth push. However, in some models of the toy, over-use of the hidden sound effects causes the sound functions to eventually break, leaving only the LED functional.
  • The customisable toy sonic screwdriver set featuring three screwdrivers with interchangeable parts can produce up to eight sound effects: the first two are the basic screwdriver sound, with slightly different pitches, and alternate each time the button is pressed. The other six effects are achieved in a similar manner to those of the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver toy, and are accompanied by a flashing lights instead of a constant light.
  • Since the War Doctor's sonic screwdriver prop was created by modifying a toy replica, the toy version that was subsequently produced is screen accurate.

Other matters[[edit] | edit source]

  • In the animated title sequence of the first series of Totally Doctor Who, the Tenth Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to fire a blue burst of energy which blows off the hand of a Cyberman.
  • In the original script for The Eleventh Hour, the Doctor referred to his screwdriver as "Level 4000" technology.
  • Scientists at the University of Dundee invented a device which turns objects with ultrasonic waves, an invention which has been described as a real-world version of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.[5]
  • Doctor Who: Legacy mobile game contains a premium pack called "Sonic Adventure", which is centred around finding various sonic devices used by different incarnations of the Doctor and by several other characters. The playable characters form this premium pack represented almost every model of sonic screwdriver encountered in the DWU.

External links[[edit] | edit source]

Footnotes[[edit] | edit source]

  1. ↑ Extract of Peter Day's interview by Richard Bignell for Loose Cannon Productions' Doctor Who - The Making of Fury from the Deep
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Essay by Lee Moone
  3. ↑ Account report of Frazer Hines
  4. ↑ Movie analysis
  5. ↑ Dr Who's sonic screwdriver 'invented' at Dundee University
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Sonic devices and sonic technology
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Used by the Doctor's companions
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Used by Iris Wildthyme
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